Broken
by J'ecris
Summary: Dark SasuSaku. Sakura has been raped, and abused by alcoholic Sasuke but he really does love her... Warning:Rape,Language,Abuse,Sex scenes,Drunken Sasuke etc...more inside All reviews welcome.
1. Unwanted Pleasures

**Here is 'Broken' my second fanfic…**

**Pairings**: **SasuSaku **

**Warnings: slight rape, abuse, foul language, hentai, **

Regular action

"Speaking"

'_Thinking'_

**Inner Sakura speaking**

**Chapter 1: Unwanted pleasures**

"You little piece of shit. You worthless whore, slut-bag bitch."

She scooted away from the imposing shadow o f the man who loomed closer then ever to her.

"P-please I-I'm s-sorry. I didn't mean t-to." She stammered hoping to coax him out of his rage.

"Yeah, and if I stop now you'll just sneak out and do it again."

"N-no I w-won't." He slapped her as she said this, and her weak body hit the bare wall of her apartment. He walked over to her quivering, sobbing body.

"Get up." He said gruffly pulling her arm up. She didn't say anything, but merely whimpered. She could feel a bruise starting to form over the previous one. He walked, half-dragging her limp body to the bedroom. Shoving her to the bed, he pulled off his shirt undid his pants, leaving him in nothing but his boxers. He proceeded to push himself onto her limp, half-naked body. She had answered the door in nothing more then a nighty and a robe. The robe was now nothing more then shreds of silky cloth that she hung onto, in a pitiful attempt to shield herself.

"Well now, my dear little Sakura-_chan_ you're punishment isn't over yet."

"P-please n-no more…I-I s-swear t-that I-I w-won't do i-it again."

Sasuke stared at the pink haired girl with a mock apology in his voice as he hit her a few more times.

"You're so weak Sakura-_chan._"

This had happened a few times before, but it was always the same thing. She would answer the door and he would be there. He would start yelling at her, and then start to rip off her clothes. Then it went to the bedroom where he violated her. She could stand the bruising and the beating, but what she couldn't take was the pain between her legs after he was done with her. Sasuke started to roughly kiss at her neck and exposed chest, biting her leaving small, red marks along her skin.

"Please, Sasuke-kun. Please stop this." Her weak pleading and begging just made him want to continue that much _more._

"No." Instead of stopping like she wanted him to, he went on with his activities, this time moving down to her waist and then, parted her underwear and stuck his rough fingers into her delicate body. She started to whimper in both pain and pleasure. Sasuke shoved another finger into and had found her sweet spot. She arched her back in pleasure towards him.

"Now's here the part that you love." Sasuke's grin widened as he pulled his fingers out of her body and proceeded to lick her fluid off of them, one finger at a time

"You taste better then usual, Sakura-_chan._"

"Sasuke-kun, please don't…"

"Shhh…my little cherry blossom."

Taking off her underwear, he lowered his head and began to lick at her womanhood. Hearing her moan really turned him on. Feeling himself start to get hard, he stopped licking Sakura, then removed his member and shoved it into her mouth. Pushing himself into her mouth he began to cum a bit.

"I know you can do better then this Sakura-_chan._" She nodded obligingly and began to lick his head and shaft. _'Why does it have to be like this?'_ she thought. All she ever wanted was Sasuke-kun to love her, and now, it seemed like she was getting an overbearing amount of his "love".

Swallowing his pre-cum, she removed her mouth from his organ. She looked at him and weakly shook her head at him. Grabbing Sakura's chin, he forced his lips to hers.

"Now, we're almost done, Sakura-_chan." _He would always stress "chan" when he said her name, as if mocking the word.

He forced her hands above her head while he got ready to penetrate her. Sasuke entered Sakura quickly, but she could still feel the dull ache that had plagued her womanhood ever since the first time he had done it. Thrusting in and out of her, he could feel himself getting ready to cum. Sasuke could also feel her hips naturally rising to meet his. He smirked at this: _'No matter how hard she tries to resist me, she's till being pleasured, even if she doesn't want to be." _Sakura bit her lip as Sasuke; HER Sasuke-kun was desecrating her. The tip of his member kept hitting her sweet spot, but she tried not to moan in pleasure. After about 10 minutes of this, they reached their climax together. Her mind told her not to, but her body didn't listen. As Sasuke cummed into her, she moaned deeply.

"I think…" he panted, "That I'm done here…" He pulled out of her, grabbed his clothes, pulled them on, and then rushed out of her apartment.

'_H-he's finally gone.'_ And Sakura started to cry into the bed.

'**What are you doing?!' **her Inner Sakura raged.

'_I'm crying that's what.'_

'**Get out of the bed and get yourself cleaned up! '**

'_Why should I even bother?'_

'**If you don't respect yourself, how are you supposed get Sasuke to respect you? Now get cleaned up!'**

'_Fine, I'll get cleaned up…but first I'm taking a shower-forever!'_

'**Just don't drown yourself in the shower; otherwise, you will get some serious butt-whoopin' from me!'**

'_Whatever. I just want to be clean…I hate feeling like this…I feel like a-'_

'**Don't say it, 'cause you're not one!'**

'_I feel like a SLUT! '_

'**It's not your fault he does this to you! You don't deserve this and you are not a SLUT!! Or a whore!'**

'_Yes it is my fault. I'm too weak…and of course I'm a slut and a whore, otherwise I would have stopped him by now. Just leave me alone…'_

'**Fine, fine. But I'll be back if you need me. Or even if you don't.'**

And with that, Inner Sakura returned to the depths of Sakura's conscious. She picked herself up from the bed and walked weakly to the bathroom. She started the shower and gingerly stepped in. The hot water felt refreshingly nice on her body. Sakura felt the pain and violation of being raped wash away. Why couldn't Sasuke stop this? He didn't get drunk very often, but when he did, well, things went like what had happened minutes earlier. She only let him in her house so that he didn't get in trouble with the law. He had gotten arrested earlier in the year for being drunk and for some reason; he robbed an alcohol store, grabbing some more sake and beer. Sasuke stumbled to her door and when she had opened it, he fell all over her. That had been the first time when he had raped her. Sakura didn't consider it rape, like, actual 'rape' because he was her boyfriend and she hadn't exactly resisted, although she had tried. She hadn't reported it either because she knew what another felony on the Uchiha's record would do to him.

Stepping out of the shower, she reached for a clean towel which had fallen on the floor. Wrapping it around her body tightly, she wandered around her discombobulated home, surveying the damage done by her drunken boyfriends rage.

**Well, there was Chapter 1 of 'Broken'…I hope you liked it. Please review. It would make me very happy…I hope you like that it's a SasuSaku! Any questions or comments, put them in the reviews….I might continue this if I get say, 4 reviews at LEAST….**

**Love you guys anyway**

**J****'****ecrite **


	2. Aftermath of the storm

**Hi again!! Thanks for all the reviews I really appreciated them…Oh, and I decided to change 'Broken' to just a SasuSaku…You guys wanted it to stay like this so Okay!! I'm glad you all like the story so far, and I'll try to update sooner but I'm getting busy with all of my homework, but I'll update as soon as I can. There may be another lemon coming up soon, but don't get your hopes up….I'm still thinking about what will happen to poor, poor Sakura-chan…**

**Now, On with the Show:**

**Last time: **Stepping out of the shower, she reached for a clean towel which had fallen on the floor. Wrapping it around her body tightly, she wandered around her discombobulated home, surveying the damage done by her drunken boyfriends rage.

The living room was a mess, seeing as that was where Sasuke always decided to do the most damage. She walked over to the wall where a picture of Team 7 used to hang, but was now on the floor, frame broken. There was Sasuke-kun, looking as angry as ever, Naruto, right next to her, upset still at being stuck on a team with Sasuke. Kakashi with his nonchalant attitude, hands on Sasuke's and Naruto's head, and there in the middle, was Sakura. She was so innocent back then: obsessing over Sasuke-kun, hitting Naruto on the head, yelling at Kakashi to hurry up; good times, good times.

"When did it all change? What went wrong?"

'**Uhh…Let me see, probably when Sasuke left for Orochimaru?!'**

'_Oh great, you again. Oh, and by the way, that was a rhetorical question.'_

'**No it wasn't….you seriously don't know the answer do you?'**

'_Please just shut up. I have stuff I have to do.'_

'**What stuff? Oh, you mean clean up after that jerk of a boyfriend Sasuke?'**

'_It's not his fault! He was drunk and, and…'_

'**And, and, he has no excuse! Why don't you just go over to his house and slap him, and tell him you won't see him until he sobers up.'**

'_I can't do that. He needs me…'_

'**As what, a punching bag?! I don't think so Sakura!'**

'_I'm all he has left. I couldn't leave him…Could I?'_

'**Of course you could! After all **_**he **_**left **_**you**_**!'**

'_Yeah, but he came back…'_

'**Only after Naruto kicked his ass back to Konoha and now look at him…He abuses you when he gets drunk and even when he's sober it doesn't seem like he cares much about you.'**

'_THAT'S NOT TRUE!! He loves me, but he has a hard time showing it! Just go away already…Like I told you before, I have to clean up.'_

'**Fine, fine, I'll leave you. But don't say I never warned you or gave you advice.'**

'…'

'**Suit yourself then…'**

Sakura could feel her Inner self leave her mind and soon as she did she collapsed on the floor. Inner Sakura was right, but, she couldn't just leave Sasuke to fend for himself. He was a broken man who felt whole only when he broke other people, namely, Sakura.

He had been broken ever since she could remember, but he hid it so well…

She had been broken ever since he left, then he came back and that broken feeling came back as well…

_Broken…_

_BRoken…_

_brOKen…_

_brokEN…_

_BROKEN…_

The word echoed in her head. He had a broken mind and spirit, whereas she had a broken body and a broken heart. The irony of it all; he was the one who had caused her all of this pain, and yet, she couldn't leave him. Pushing herself off of the carpet, she started to tidy up her apartment. Sweeping and mopping the kitchen floor, vacuuming the carpet, dusting the coffee table and bookshelves, folding the blankets. She had done this so many times before that it had become almost second-nature to her. Doing this ritual calmed her into almost a trance where her problems disappeared and she could live in peace once more. Moving onto the bedroom, she took off the sheets, wet with fluids, both his and hers, shoving it in the washer. She put some new black sheets on, hoping that these wouldn't be stained like the others. Falling gently onto the bed, she grabbed a pillow and started to cry into it, her sobs muffled by the fluffy pillow. Changing into a large shirt and loose pants, she crawled into bed, hoping to grab some sleep before her shift started at the hospital. Sakura fell into a fitful sleep, full of nightmares of Sasuke's hands where they shouldn't be and Sasuke repeatedly saying how weak she was. She hated herself for that and tried to ignore it, but all throughout the night, his voice repeated in her head.

"You're so weak Sakura-chan."

"You deserve how I'm treating you."

"You deserve to die."

"You're too weak to live."

"I don't know why I even bother to pretend to love you."

"You're so weak."

"Weak…"

"Weak…"

"Weak little kunoichi."

**Alright that was chapter 2 of 'Broken'. Now you can guess where I got the title of the story…Like always review and if you want to, you can suggest what you want to happen in the story next…I might add your suggestions and give you credit for them…**

**Farewell till next time my dear readers,**

**J****'****ecrite**


	3. Morning After

**To all of my beloved reader: Sorry about the Chapter 2 mix up….I must have clicked the wrong document or something. Anyways, thanks for all of the reviews. I hope you aren't too mad at me for that little slip up…. anime sweatdrop hehe**

**Alright, here is Chapter 3 of Broken…**

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Naruto Cast….That wonderful title is held by Kishimoto-sensei.**

**Pairings: SasuSaku**

**Warnings: Abuse, Drunken Behavior, Foul Language, rape & lemons (in some chapters) etc….Basically, if you're searching for an 'M' rated story, you found one and should expect this sort of stuff. If you don't like this stuff, I would suggest searching for a 'T' or 'K ' story or something like that.**

**Last Time: **_"I don't know why I even bother to pretend to love you."_

"_You're so weak."_

"_Weak…"_

"_Weak…"_

"_Weak little kunoichi."_

That night, Sakura was tossing and turning, her dreams keeping her from a peaceful sleep. After a few hours of disturbed sleep, Sakura just gave up on it. She decided to wake up, and stay up. Glancing at the clock on her nightstand, the time reading 3:16 am, she figured she would've had to wake up pretty soon anyway to get ready for her shift at Konoha Hospital. Although she didn't much like the early morning shift, Tsunade had insisted on having at least one experienced doctor on staff, especially during the late night and early morning shifts. Yawning, she got up and went to the bathroom. Brushing her hair, she looked into the mirror and hated the face that was staring back at her. The face in the mirror had streaked mascara on her cheeks and lines through it, showing the path her tears from the previous night had taken. On her right cheek there was a large welt, roughly the shape of a man's hand, from where Sasuke had slapped her against the wall. Glaring back at the mirror, Sakura took the handle of the brush and slammed it into the glass. It shattered, splinters flying back towards the pink haired girl. Not even moving or crying as the glass shards hit her in the cheek and exposed flesh, she stood stoic and cold, accepting the injuries as if she deserved them, which in her mind, she did. Removing the brush's handle from the shattered reflective surface, she threw it on the floor and turned towards the shower, oblivious to the imbedded flakes in the soles of her feet. Taking a short shower, she unceremoniously scrubbed her skin raw, picking the glass out of her flesh, not even bothering to heal it with chakra. Superficial as they were, they still stung, although the pain they inflicted was nothing compared to the war within her own mind and heart.

Glancing at the broken mirror, she healed some of the cuts on her face then wiped the streaks of blood off. She looked decent enough, as if she had just awoken and then rushed to the hospital. _'Good enough.'_ She thought. _'As long as Shizune doesn't ask questions I think I'll be alright.' _

Grabbing her clothes from the closet, she threw them on and headed towards the kitchen, looking immaculate in the war zone that was her home. Up until several hours ago, her apartment had been fairly clean and picked up. Sighing, she searched for some cereal or some other source of food to start the morning off.

"Peanut butter, green beans, spinach, old bread, eww, no wonder why I've eaten breakfast at work. There's nothing here!" She said talking to herself. Her cabinets were bare except for the necessities for simple living. Sakura hadn't gone shopping in over a month so her fridge was full of old leftovers and chunky milk.

Taking a last look around and making a mental list of what she needed, she grabbed her keys and left her house.

Around this same time in another home, a black haired man lay sprawled on a couch, bottle of sake in his hand. Awaking from his hangover, he looked around, wondering how he had gotten from the bar to his house.

'_Shit. These hangovers keep getting worse.' _Sasuke thought to himself. Looking down at himself, he noticed that his shirt was slightly undone and his pants sat loosely on his hips, belt missing.

"Great. First a hangover and now this, I should probably ask Sakura if I came over last night, "Pausing as he thought hard he drew a breath quickly in. "Sakura! Oh crap. Uhhh…didn't I tell her I would meet her at her house for breakfast?" Glancing towards the clock on the wall, he read the time: 3:30 am.

"Let's see, I think Sakura is working an early morning shift today, so she would be headin' towards the hospital by now." Standing up quickly, a little too quickly as it turned out, he stumbled his way towards the door. Checking his pockets he frantically looked for his keys.

"Please tell me I did not leave my keys at the bar…" Looking on the counter, thankfully he found them. Buttoning his shirt up and adjusting his pants, he headed out of his apartment and traveled towards the hospital. It was by sheer luck that those two had happened onto the same street at the same time. Sakura had been too busy going over her mental grocery list to pay attention. Sasuke was too drunk to even open his eyes fully so him bumping into someone was no surprise. The real surprise was that he bumped into the person he wanted to see and she had bumped into the last person she had wanted to meet that morning.

"Sorry." They spoke at the same time, and only then did they both look each other in the eyes, both fully realizing who they had just met.

"I have to go. Bye Sasuke." Hurrying off without saying anything more, Sakura continued her pace towards Konoha Hospital.

"W-wait Sakura-chan! I just need to ask you something."

"Ask me some other time alright Sasuke. I have to get to work."

"Please, just slow down." He stumbled towards her, and as she turned to look back at him, he nearly fell on her, but being caught just in time. His eyes were bloodshot as he spoke to her. "I just needed to talk to you."

"About what, how drunk you were last night when you came barging into my house?!!"

"I-I did that?" She could see he was obviously out of it, the alcoholic beverages still in his system from the previous night. Shaking her head, she gave in. Grabbing him around the shoulder, she tried her best to support him as they walked together towards the white building in front of them.

"Just come on in and I'll give you some aspirin to get rid of that headache."

"Thanks. I don't know what I'd do without you Sakura-chan."

"Oh, I'm sure you could think of something if your mind wasn't overcome with this stupid hangover." She said with an obvious bitter tone. "This one makes it the 4 this month. You have to stop wasting yourself."

"I know that." Sasuke replied indignantly.

"Uh, no you don't. Otherwise we wouldn't be in this mess in the first place."

The Uchiha stayed silent as they entered the white building. Sakura paused to sign in at the front desk, signaling that her shift had begun. Walking a bit towards a hall full of empty rooms, Sakura lead Sasuke into one and sat him one the first bed. He immediately lay down, covering his eyes with the pillow and mumbling something incoherent.

"Sasuke, sit up for a second."

"Fine, fine." He stated as she shoved a plastic cup full of water into his hand and a small white pill into his other.

"Swallow the pill with the water, try not to choke."

"Jeez, you don't have to be such a bitch. I know how to take aspirin."

"This is the last straw Sasuke Uchiha."

'_Uh oh, when she says my last name I'm in deep, deep shit.'_

"What did I do this time Sakura-chan??"

She almost laughed at his feeble attempt to remember the previous night's events.

"You seriously don't remember do you? You're so drunk you don't even know what you did. I would feel sorry for you, but then I would have to acknowledge that it was partially my stop for not stopping you."

"W-what are you talking about Sakura? What did I do to you? Please, just tell me." He reached out a lone, trembling hand to her arm, trying to pull her towards him.

"GET OFF OF ME UCHIHA! You really want to know what happened last night? It's the same as any other night you get drunk. You came over to my apartment as some godforsaken hour and forced yourself on me after you gave me the honor of being used your punching bag! In other words, you fuckng raped me! And it's not even the first time you've done this!" She was nearly in tears now. He couldn't believe it. He knew that he often went over to Sakura's house when he felt really bad with a hangover, but he never really remembered much after that. Shock poured over him as she turned her back towards him as she spoke, the sobs obvious in her voice.

"When you're feeling better you can just leave. Until then just crash out in here; don't even bother coming over tonight or tomorrow."

"But Sakura, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. If I had known then, then…"

"Then _what_ Sasuke? I'm sick and tired of taking care of you and nursing your hangovers. Until you get some help for this stupid disease of yours, just don't even talk to me. Good bye Mr. Uchiha." Struggling to sound as professional as she could, she left him sitting shocked on the bed, furious at himself and surprised at what she had just told, shouted would've been a more appropriate term, him.

"You've really screwed yourself this time Sasuke. Now you've done it."

**Hope you all liked this chapter. I figured that Sasuke would have a massive hangover and have **_**no **_**idea whatsoever what he had done. Sakura finally stood up and I'm proud of her. Woohoo!! How ever, there is that little of issue of should she report him to Tsunade or not. Well, you'll all see really soon what's going to happen to these two. As always, Review, It's good for the soul!**

**J****'****ecrite**


	4. Its Sobbering Time

Alrighty then, I present Chapter 4 of 'Broken'

**Alrighty then, I present Chapter 4 of 'Broken'. I thank you all for the reviews takes theatrical bows Now, continue on…**

**Oh, before I forget, I DO NOT own Naruto or the characters. I do own however the plot line and such….**

**Last time: **_"But Sakura, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. If I had known then, then…"_

"_Then what Sasuke? I'm sick and tired of taking care of you and nursing your hangovers. Until you get some help for this stupid disease of yours, just don't even talk to me. Good bye Mr. Uchiha." Struggling to sound as professional as she could, she left him sitting shocked on the bed, furious at himself and surprised at what she had just told, shouted would've been a more appropriate term, him. _

"_You've really screwed yourself this time Sasuke. Now you've done it." _

Due to Sakura's yelling at him, his headache grew even worse. Glancing at the counter, he saw that she had left the bottle of aspirin there along with a few plastic cups for water. 

"Hn…" Grabbing two pills and filling a cup with water, he swallowed them, and then reclined on the bed, trying to sort out his thoughts and emotions. Sasuke knew she was right. He needed help to sober up but he didn't think that Sakura was the right person to ask for help. Thinking hard without giving himself a bigger headache, he ran through a mental list of shinobi who could help.

'_Shikamaru, nah. Naruto? Nope, he's an idiot. Kakashi, maybe. Lee-don't go there. Uhm…who else?' _His list was running short of people he knew that might be able to help. Finally only one other person crossed his mind. He knew she would probably know how to help him, seeing as she was an alcoholic, too. Just one problem: He wasn't sure if Sakura had told her about what was going on between herself and Sasuke. Unfortunately, this person he had in his mind just happened to be very fond of Sakura and would probably kill him or at least pulverize him if she knew. 

'_I'll talk to her before Sakura gets off her shift. Maybe…'_

With that he succumbed to sleep and dozed off. He woke up a few hours later, around 6 am. Yawning, he got out of the hospital bed, stuck his head out of the doorway to make sure no one was looking, and then strolled out of the white building as fast as he could. The alcohol had filtered out of his system a bit, so he wasn't _as _intoxicated as when he walked in, but he still had a while to go before he was detoxed completely. Heading towards a tall tower only a few blocks away from the hospital, he summoned all of the poise and confidence he could muster before strolling into the tan building. Walking up to the top where her office would be, then knocked on the door.

"What do you want?! I'm busy in here doing important hokage…stuff."

He pushed open the door a crack. 

"Oh, it's you Sasuke. Come on in. " 

Although his knees were knocking together, he walked over to her desk, sure to shut the door behind him. 

"So, what can I help you with Uchiha? Do you want a mission, or something?"

"Uh…No, actually, "He took a deep breath. "I'm here to ask for some help with a, personal problem of mine." 

Tsunade's eyes went wide as her half sake induced brain tried to figure out what he was here for. 

"Oh…Well, I don't know if I'm the best one to help you. If it's personal like _that _maybe you should talk with Jiraiyah or Kakashi. I'm sure with their area of _expertise _you could get the help you wanted." It took him, the _genius _Uchiha, a minute to figure out what she was implying. When he realized that she was implying a 'male' problem he immediately blushed, something that doesn't happen very often, and firmly told her that wasn't it.

"Oh, well then what? Just spit it out already."

He took a moment to calm himself down before admitting the real reason he had come.

"I'm well, you see, I need some help to sober up." 

"So you're an alcoholic now?"

"I'm trying to stop after _certain _things happened."

"What sort of things are you talking about Uchiha?" Oops, he had said a little too much. 

"…." Now Tsunade was actually paying attention. What had this kid done to make him want to sober up? Unless…

"If it has anything to do with Sakura, I swear I will beat to a pulp." Sasuke gulped, also something that didn't happen very often.

"I-I don't know what really happened though, I was drunk at the time, but Sakura said…"

Fuming, Tsunade stood up, slamming her hands down on the top of her desk. 

"What did she say?" She asked in a surprisingly aggressive voice. 

'_Now,' _thought Sasuke, _'I'm probably in deep shit.'_

"She just told me that last night I came over to her house…uh…drunk and sorta did stuff…" 

"What kind of stuff Sasuke?" she said through gritted teeth. This kid was starting to piss her off more and more each minute he sat there.

"She said I-I…." the rest of the sentence was lost in a mumbled breath. 

"WHAT. DID. YOU. DO?" Officially, Tsunade was pissed.

"She said I-I beat her pretty bad….and that I…" 

'_If this boy doesn't tell me, his head is going to meet my fist. Soon.'_

"That I sort of, kind of raped her." Sasuke hung his head in shame waiting for the hokage to say something, anything to break this uncomfortable silence between them. Finally, she did.

"YOU DID WHAT TO HER?!"

"I-I didn't mean to! I don't even remember anything!"

"BUT I'M SURE SAKURA DOES!"

"I-I'm sorry! I don't know what happened. It was Sakura who told me this. Oh, and she also said I did this before…" 

'_Correction,' _he thought again. _'I'm in _serious_ shit and she's gonna kill me. Way to go Uchiha.'_

Tsunade couldn't believe it. She couldn't believe that Sasuke of all people would do that, but what was even more incredible was that Sakura didn't tell her about it. Maybe if she had, things could've been different. Trying to remain calm, she asked him another question.

"How many times did she say you did this?"

"Well, she didn't exactly say how many times before, but it's happened she says, pretty much every time I got drunk."

"And how long have you been getting drunk like this?"

"Uhm…maybe about 6 months or so? I'm not positive."

Sitting back down, she rubbed her temples, trying to sort out all of this information.

"Uchiha,"

"Yes Hokage-sama?"

"Just go home and don't tell Sakura about this, okay? I'll talk to her soon."

"Thank you. And when you talk to Sakura, tell her I'm really, really sorry."

Nodding her head, she dismissed him. He shut the door quietly behind him and walked down the steps, the conversation still fresh in his mind. Sasuke was starting to regret even _telling _Tsunade about it, mostly because he thought that it might lead to some uncomfortable questions. He was right; it had. 

"This is all your own fault anyways…Don't go trying to feel sorry for yourself. It's Sakura you should feel sorry for." He told himself. Directing himself away from the Hokage's tower, he went towards his house, passing a few bars in the process. The urge to drink swelled up inside of him, begging to be let out, if even for one tiny sip of alcohol. In the background, he heard a song and the irony almost made him destroy the radio that it was playing out of:

'**Cause the more I drink, the more I drink  
Yeah, I'm the world's greatest lover and a dancin' machine  
I get loud, I get proud...and it gets worse  
Well if I have one, I'll have thirteen  
Naw, there ain't no in-between  
Cause, the more I drink, the more I drink.'**

'_It's as if the whole world hates me now.' _He thought, passing the bar that was playing the music. '_Damn country artists. What do they know?'_

Trying to get the lyrics out of his head as he opened the door to his apartment, he looked around. 

It was pitiful.

There was trash on the ground, empty beer bottles, the occasional wine glass and wine cork. He sighed. If he was going to start sobering up, he might as well start at home. Beginning in the living room, he threw various pillows and blankets on the couch, made various piles of stuff and got out the vacuum, which hadn't been used since the last time Sakura came over, which was about 6 months ago. It took awhile but finally, he made some progress. The room wasn't spotless, but for the average man living alone, it was pretty okay.

Next was the kitchen.

Tossing the cups and dirty dishes into the sink, he started to sweep the floors, mopping them, too. While they were drying, Sasuke cleared off the counters, grabbing every alcoholic beverage he could find and stuffed it into a black garbage bag. Shoving the bag to one side, he set out to find all of the alcohol in the house. As you can imagine, it took a while. 

There were quite a few bottles in his bedroom, a few scattered on the hallway floor, and even one under the bathroom sink. Not the best to place beer, but then again, when you're drunk, who cares? After about 4 hours of cleaning up, Sasuke took a break and sat on the couch. 

"Well, the house is pretty clean. Now for the fun part: detox. 

**Sorry that it took so long…I was really busy and stuff. Anyways, the song in bold is not mine….It is 'More I drink' by Blake Shelton….its a funny video and I figured that might be the best song to be playing in the background…Well, as always, review!! I'll work on the next chapter soon!!**

**J****ecrite**


	5. A Meeting with Hokage

Last time: There were quite a few bottles in his bedroom, a few scattered on the hallway floor, and even one under the bathroo

**Gomen-nasai for the delay folks…I was really busy and I didn't have much inspiration for this so it took me awhile to organize my thoughts. Well, I enjoyed reading your reviews so keep it up!...:)**

**Last time: **_There were quite a few bottles in his bedroom, a few scattered on the hallway floor, and even one under the bathroom sink. Not the best to place beer, but then again, when you're drunk, who cares? After about 4 hours of cleaning up, Sasuke took a break and sat on the couch. _

"_Well, the house is pretty clean. Now for the fun part: detox." _

Sakura had been in a bad mood since that morning. She didn't talk to her patients as much as she normally did and she took her breaks in silence. Glancing over at Sakura, Shizune saw that she wasn't the happy-go-lucky camper she usually was. Walking over to the pink haired girl, Shizune started an awkward conversation.

"So…Sakura, are you okay?"

"Yes. I'm fine." She replied coldly.

"Well, you don't look alright."

Frustrated Sakura turned at her sempai. "I'm FINE alright?! I'm going to sign out now." Regaining her composure a tad, she added: "I'm just a little tired."

Nodding quietly, Shizune went to the Nurse's Desk and grabbed a clipboard with the times in and out of the hospital workers. Handing Sakura a pen, the girl signed by her name and turned to grab her bags. As Sakura was walking out of the building, she noticed one of Tsunade's many assistants running towards her.

"Uhm…hello Izumi." The young girl stated confusingly.

"Hello. Sakura." Izumi continued out of breath. "The. Hokage. Wants to. See you. Now."

Not wanting the woman to strain her lungs any more then needed, the kunoichi headed the opposite direction of her house towards the tower while Izumi headed inside the cool interior of the hospital. Fetching a glass of water for the runner, Shizune lead Izumi to her office so she could rest a bit.

"So, do you know what Lady Tsunade wanted with Sakura?"

Pausing for a moment to swallow, Izumi answered. "No, not really. All I know is that Lady Tsunade called me to come and get Sakura. I dunno what's going on. Maybe it's a promotion or something."

"Yeah, I doubt it…Besides; if it was a promotion don't you think that _I_ would know about it?"

"Oh right. You are her sempai after all."

"Exactly…so, have you heard anything about why Sakura's so upset today?"

The younger girl shrugged her shoulders and offered the best she could. "PMS-ing maybe?"

That caused the two dark haired women to laugh for a bit, just to relieve the situation.

"Nah. Maybe she just has been having a hard time with Sasuke or something. You know young love." Izumi offered.

"Well, now that you mention it, this morning, like, really early, I did see Sakura bring him in and after going to check in on him once she got really upset and hasn't really calmed down since."

And that brought the close to that particular conversation. Izumi thanked Shizune for the water and turned to leave when Shizune stopped her.

"If you do happen to find out what's going on, please tell me." She asked the worry for her young charge all too apparent in her voice. Noting this, the assistant merely nodded and headed back to her workplace.

Knocking on the door labeled 'Hokage', Sakura waited for an answer.

"Come in."

"Hello Lady Tsunade. You wanted me to come in today?"

Gesturing to a chair near the large bureau, Tsunade motioned for Sakura to sit. Settling down in a soft comfy chair, Sakura placed her bags by her feet and watched her former sensei carefully.

'**I don't think this is good.'**

'_What makes you think that?'_

'**Well, look at her. She's obviously under some sort of pressure or something…'**

'_Note to Inner-Self, She's the freakin' Hokage so, yeah, she would be under some sort of pressure or something…Its part of the job.'_

'**I don't think so...'**

'_Shut up. What do you know?'_

'**A lot more then you give me credit for, apparently.'**

Finishing the conversation with her Inner-Self, Sakura looked at the Hokage.

"Well, Sakura, you're probably wondering why I called you in here.'

'**NO, REALLY?!'**

'_Shut up. Now's not the time for stupid side comments!'_

'**There's always time for stupid side comments!'**

"Well, I guess I'm curious."

Her voice took a serious tone and became more baritone as she spoke. "I don't mean to poke into your love life, but how is your relationship going with Uchiha Sasuke?"

Quietly gasping, Sakura looked around the room as if on the wall or floor there might be a good lie would pop up and start doing the cancan right in front of her.

"What do you mean Lady Tsunade? We're doing alright. We might have a small fight here and there, but nothing…"she paused and then continued. "Physical."

"Well that's strange."

"What's strange?"

'_Uh-oh.'_

'**This is why I wish you would listen to me…'**

'_Stop criticizing me already!!'_

'**Fine, but don't blame me when this conversation hits a turn for the worse…'**

"Well that even though you say everything's alright, I've heard from some very _reliable _sources that things aren't all peachy between you two. I'd like to hear your side before I tell you what I've found out.

'_Oh Shit….'_

'**Sweetie, 'Oh Shit' doesn't even begin to cover it…Sorry but you're on your own from here on out.'**

**Sorry for such a long wait between updates. I just have been so busy with our school play and homework and dealing with some family stuff that I just haven't had time to think about 'Broken' or my other stories. Sorry…**

**Oh and the character who was introduced this time around may or may not be included later on. I just couldn't think of a real character that could just fill in this little spot. Please review until your heart gives out... XD Anyways thanks to everyone who's reviewed so far and I'm glad you've stuck with me and my laziness. Oh and I will be gone for a week with no internet or cell phones so that'll add another week or two until the next one is up, but I'm not making any promises….**

**J****'****ecrite**


	6. Lakeside Picnic

Hi Folks

**Hi Folks!! Well, it turns out that to get on the internet on board the cruise ship is 0.30 a minute…considering that I have no money and that my mom wouldn't let me charge anything, so I had to wait until I got home and THEN I had to clean out our suitcases while my sister spent the night at a friends house. Which sucks…Anyways, here is Chapter 6 of Broken!!**

**Last Time: **_**'This is why I wish you would listen to me…'**_

'_Stop criticizing me already!!'_

'_**Fine, but don't blame me when this conversation hits a turn for the worse…'**_

"_Well that even though you say everything's alright, I've heard from some very reliable sources that things aren't all peachy between you two. I'd like to hear your side before I tell you what I've found out._

'_Oh Shit….'_

'_**Sweetie, 'Oh Shit' doesn't even begin to cover it…Sorry but you're on your own from here on out.'**_

"What do you mean 'My side of the story'?"

"Sakura, my dear, you've been my student for a couple of years now. I know you're smarter then this. I simply want to know how you're relationship is going. Seriously though, no lies."

Gulping audibly, Sakura thought for a moment then stared past the Hokage, out the window. The sky was a light shade of blue, with not many clouds to obstruct the sun's rays. She wished that Sasuke wasn't an alcoholic, that he was his old, normal self. She wished that things could be like they were before. It was a bittersweet feeling that it was a year ago that, on a day almost exactly like this one, he told her he loved her.

_**-Flashback-**_

_He had surprised her when he had asked if she wanted to have a picnic with him. Nodding energetically, she asked if there was anything that she could bring. Saying that there he had taken care of everything, she slipped on some shoes then followed him. When they got to the Uchiha District, Sasuke told Sakura to close her eyes and just follow him. Worried about stumbling, she grabbed his hand, keeping her eyes closed and wondering what in the world could be going on. They seemed to walk forever until Sasuke let go of her hand for a moment._

"_Sasuke?" Opening her eyes, she saw that they were down by a small lake, and that barely a few feet in front of her, was a beautifully set up picnic, complete with a red and white checkered picnic sheet. _

"_Oh, it's so beautiful." Turning to her side she saw Sasuke smiling at her, an actual, sincere smile, gracing his lips. _

"_So, do you want to stare at it all day, or do you want to sample my cooking?" Sasuke replied, smirking a bit. Blushing, Sakura sat down on one corner of the picnic while Sasuke sat next to her. Opening the basket, Sasuke pulled out some French bread, as well as some homemade sandwiches. Towards the bottom of the bottom of the basket there were also some water bottles and some dessert. _

"_I didn't know you cooked Sasuke-kun." _

"_Well, you kind of have to learn how when you live alone."_

"_Oh…right."_

"_It's alright. Just try the sandwich and tell me if you like it. I haven't cooked for anybody...ever…so I have yet to hear some ones opinion." He said, gesturing to the sandwich in Sakura's hands. Taking off the plastic wrap, Sakura daintily took a bite. Chewing it over, then swallowing it, her face began to contort and she began to cough and started to shake. _

"_Sakura?! Are you okay?!"_

_Not answering, she broke into a large coughing fit then fell backwards onto the hillside behind her._

"_SAKURA?!" Sasuke was starting to freak out. He jumped up and went over to where she had landed, and then brushed the hair that had been_ _covering her face to the side. Her face was still contorting alright, not in pain, but in laughter. Discovering that her ruse had been uncovered, Sakura turned to face Sasuke._

"_Gotcha!" And then she started to laugh._

"_Hey! That wasn't funny at ALL!" He stated, trying to remain calm and cool._

"_Your expression was priceless!" _

"_So my cooking was that bad huh? Figures."_

"_No, actually, it's pretty good."_

_Sitting back up, Sakura resumed eating the sandwich, while Sasuke finished his. They both stared off into the lake, waiting for the other to start speaking. Finally, Sasuke broke the silence as the sun finished its daily journey, basking them in red light._

"_There is a reason I wanted you to come here you know."_

"_Oh really?" This got Sakura interested. Turning towards the dark haired Uchiha, she waited for him to continue._

"_Well, for the longest time, I've been wondering what I should do about this."_

"_About what?"_

"_Us." Hearing him saying that made Sakura's stomach flutter. Regaining her normal attitude she innocently asked, "What about us?"_

"_Well, you see I don't know how to explain it."_

_Disappointed, Sakura turned back to face the sunset reflecting off of the blue-green waters._

"_But I've always heard that actions speak louder then words so…" He trailed off, turning back to face her. Simultaneously Sakura turned to see Sasuke's normally placid features alive with a mysterious glow. Time seemed to pass in slow motion as Sasuke leaned towards Sakura petite frame, then planted a passionate kiss on her succulent pink lips. For a moment, she was shocked, and then she realized what was going on. She let all rational thought go, wanting this moment to go on forever._

_He ran his tongue along her bottom lip, wanting to deepen their kiss. She gasped briefly, allowing him to enter her mouth. Their tongues both fought for dominance, each one trying to overcome the other. As usual, Sasuke won. After what seemed like forever to the two, Sakura broke their kiss, breathing deeply._

"_I love you." Stating the obvious was something that he didn't do very often. Whether it was the adrenaline pumping through her veins or what, but in the most seductive voice she could muster she said: "Shut up and kiss me." This time it was Sakura on the offence, grabbing Sasuke's face and pulling him closer to her. As she kissed him, she ran her fingers through his spiky black hair, enjoying every second of this. He ran his hands down her body, feeling her curves and wishing he could feel them closer. He parted their lips but continued to grant her lovely body kisses, starting with her neck and working down. After kissing the area that joined her neck and collarbone, he nibbled it, marking her as his and only his. _

_By this time, the sun had already set and it was the moon that basked them in its radiance. Moving her hands downward, Sakura moved them underneath his shirt, feeling his chest and abs. _

"_Just so you know Sasuke, this is as far as I'm going…"_

_He looked at her then smirked. "At least for now."_

"_Why you, Are Uchiha's right all the time?" she voiced in mock inquisition. Stopping what he was doing, Sasuke was slightly out of breath. He kissed her forehead then looked her in the eyes. _

"_Yep. 100 right all the time."_

"_Wow! Sasuke, you cracked a joke!!" she added oozing sarcasm._

"_Well, since you and I are obviously taking a break from our _previous _activities, why don't we eat?"_

_The rest of the night went smoothly and only when they realized that it was nearly sunup did they part ways. With a goodnight/morning kiss, Sasuke watched Sakura walk up to her apartment door. _

"_See you soon Sasuke."_

"_Hn." Was his reply._

'Classic Sasuke.' _She thought_. 'Well, that went nicely.'

_**-Flashback Ends-**_

"Earth to Sakura. Hello…" Tsunade was waving her hand in front of the dazed girl.

"Wha-? Oh…" Staring downward she sighed. There was obviously no way to skirt around the truth. "I'm sorry. I was thinking about our first date. It was on a day like today, heh. Things sure were different back then."

In a quieter voice Tsunade added something. "I talked to Sasuke."

Inhaling sharply, the cherry blossom slowly raised her head to look somberly at the blonde.

"H-how much did he-"

"All of it. Or at least, from the last 6 months to the most recent 'event'."

"So then why do you want me to explain my side of the story if you already know what happened?"

"I just need to hear it from you point of view that's all."

"Well." Sakura's voice started rising in volume. "It doesn't matter who you hear it from, him or me! It's the same on either side!" Feeling herself close to tears, she excused herself. Before she stepped out of the office, Tsunade gave one last statement and it seemed to tear Sakura in half.

"He says he's really, really sorry. That's to quote his exact words."

She couldn't stand it anymore. Running out of the room she started to cry. Hot tears burned down her cheeks as she went to the only place where the haunting memories couldn't follow her. She passed various houses and stores, ignored the ogling stares of onlookers. She used up some chakra as a boost to hurry to get where she wanted to be. The sun started to set as she sat down on the grass overlooking the same blue-green waters that she had stared out years ago with Sasuke by her side.

**That's where we're going to stop. If I continued anymore it would be really, really long. Well, now Sakura knows Tsunade knows about her and Sasuke. So what now? Well that's a good question. **

**How is Sasuke's detox going? Another good question.**

**Why was the flashback so long? Because it was a key point in this chapter.**

**Should the reader review? YES, YES, and YES!!**

**Hahahahaha like usual, please review and check out the other stories of mine!!**

**J****'****ecris**


	7. I thought it was Anonymous!

***sneaks in through the back door* Hey guys! **

**It's been awhile huh? **

**Well, I've decided to renew my work on ALL of my stories, as well as start a new one.**

**So, let's continue with 'Broken'**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, only the plot.**

**Hints: This story will get darker as well as lighter. Heheh. Enjoy the ride!**

Last time:_ "He says he's really, really sorry. That's to quote his exact words."_

_She couldn't stand it anymore. Running out of the room, she started to cry. Hot tears burned down her cheeks as she went to the only place where the haunting memories couldn't follow her. She passed various houses and stores, ignored the ogling stares of onlookers. She used up some chakra as a boost to get where she wanted to be. The sun started to set as she sat down on the grass overlooking the same blue-green waters that she had stared at years ago with Sasuke by her side._

Being here was relaxing. Being here without him, saddened her even more. It was, however, a place of good memories, there by counteracting her sadness with its joys of the past. Although she was crying, a small smile made its way to her lips as she remembered other memories from a happier time. Before he started drinking. Before everything that had tarnished her soul, as well as his.

The way the light reflected on the water, sending warm rays of light through the dark veil that covered her heart. It seemed as if Mother Nature was trying to cheer her up, or at least trying to show her that there was happiness out there, to embrace the light and warmth of the sun.

Sighing, Sakura laid down on the grass, curling her body slightly. She felt so lonely, so helpless. Now that Tsunade-sama knew about her dirty laundry, she felt embarrassed. She knew that they needed help, or else this would just go on in an endless cycle. Even now, she was ashamed of herself, that despite all the Uchiha bastard had put her through, she still cared for him.

"I hate him. I hope he dies of alcohol poisoning."

"**Sadly enough, you don't hate him that much."**

"Why the hell are you rearing your ugly head now? Leave me alone to feel sorry for myself!"

"**Feeling sorry for yourself won't get you anywhere. Lets go back to Tsunade and see what we can do. Counseling, or therapy or something."**

"Why? Either way, we'd have to see Sasuke. As of now, I never want to see him or even hear his name ever again. I want him out of my life!"

Sakura started sobbing lightly

"He's always in my head! I can't ever get his voice out of my head! It's always 'You're so weak.' or the like! Even when I sleep! It makes me think of things that I shouldn't…"

"…**You don't mean suicide, do you?"**

"Call it what you will. It seems like an escape from this living hell that he's putting me through."

"**That's quitter talk right there. I know we've been through hell several times over, but the Sakura I know would never take the easy road out! SNAP OUT OF IT!"**

"That was the Sakura you knew. Past Tense. I don't think she's here anymore. Just another part that broke off somewhere along this road through hell."

"**Don't talk like that. Please, it really worries me."**

"…"

Sakura didn't answer herself for awhile, and although she hated her options right now, she had no choice. She didn't want to die, but it seemed so much simpler and easier then confronting Sasuke or therapy where she'd be forced to retell her stories. As of now, she didn't think she could take anymore pain.

Looking at the sky, the sun had been replaced by the full moon. In the pitch black night, only the full moon illuminated the lake. It had gone from being relaxing and bright to a black, rippling pond of darkness. Sakura stared into it, wishing that the deep chasms of the water could swallow her up whole. Standing up, she moved closer to the waters edge, allowing a pale hand to break the surface, sending ripples in all directions.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

It had been only hours since his meeting with Tsunade. Sasuke lay eagle-spread on his bed, trying to find meaning in the popcorn ceiling above him. He had alerted someone on the outside of what was going on. That was good, and bad. Good, because now someone else could help them, help Sakura. Bad, because now someone else was involved; the shame and anguish he felt had swelled in magnitude because now Tsunade knew. He guessed that Tsunade would tell Sakura that he had come in. She was probably even more pissed with him then she was before.

He knew though, that if he hadn't told someone, Sakura wouldn't have. He didn't know why she had kept his secret, even from himself. Yes, she loved him, but was she so in love with him that she would sacrifice her self, body and soul for him?

"This is killing me!!" He shouted into a pillow.

Eventually, Tsunade would call them both in, and demand that something be done. Sasuke was already trying to detox himself, although he knew that doing it alone wasn't the way to go. He had spent 6 months of doing 'things' alone, and look where that landed him: face-first in the crapper, Sakura getting the worst of it.

Rising from his king size, Sasuke walked around the house. The smell of alcohol still lingered in the house, but he fought the urge to walk to the bar down the street. He was broke anyways, too many nights out robbing his pockets of their once jingling melody.

Sighing once more, Sasuke grabbed the Yellow Book from the floor and flipped it open. It pained his pride to have to resort to this, but it was necessary. One cannot run from addiction alone, or else he stumbles and falls. However, he who has help can stand tall at the end.

Flipping through the pages, he found what he was looking for. Grabbing his phone, he dialed the number that was printed in black and white.

"Hello. Konoha's Alcoholics Anonymous. This is Izumi."

"…"

"Hello? Is anyone there?"

"-click-"

Sasuke hung up the phone, his palms sweating.

'I can't do this. I just can't!' Shaking his head, he took another deep breath.

'I have to do this for Sakura.'

Redialing, he waited for someone to answer.

"Hello. Alcoholics Anonymous. This is Izumi, how may I help you?"

"..Uh, hello. I think need help."

"Alright sir, I'll be happy to help. Have you ever been to AA before?"

"No."

"No worries. I can give you some information about meetings, and whatnot if you'd like."

Sasuke found that his throat was going dry. Coughing a bit, he replied to Izumi.

"Uh, yeah, sure."

"Alright, can I have your name?"

"…I thought this was Anonymous."

"It is, but for counseling and whatnot, we need your name to schedule things. Don't worry though, the names stay private and are never released for any reason."

"…oh. So its not completely anonymous…"

"No sir."

"That seems sorta like false advertisement doesn't it?"

"Sir, your name please? If you need help, please don't let your pride get in the way. Its alright to want help." Izumi's voice was caring and coaxing, trying to help him to go through with this.

"My name is…is…Sasuke." His tone was that of a defeated warrior who knows that he has been beat. He realized at once that this could be the start of a new life, or possibly a continuation of his old life, the one before he started drinking his demons away.

"Alright Sasuke, can I have your last name please?"

"How many freaking Sasuke's can their be in Konoha?!"

"…Its for security reasons sir. Please, last name?"

Sasuke surrendered once more and mumbled his last name.

"What was that? Could you please say that again?"

"Uchiha. Happy?" Said Uchiha deadpanned.

"Thank you sir. Someone from AA will be getting in touch with you shortly to discuss the program. I want to thank you for taking this step yourself. You'll do fine."

"Um. Alright. I guess, thanks Izumi." With that he hung up.

He had done it. He had taken the first baby steps to getting help. Maybe Sakura could see how sorry he was, how he was trying to change for the better, for her.

Interrupting his thoughts, he heard his stomach growl.

'_Better go get some food.' _Sasuke thought, and grabbed his keys and went out the door, feeling for like a new man.


	8. Night at the Lake

**Its time for the next chapter of Broken!**

**Thanks for all the reviews I've received for that last chapter…It really made me feel happy after such a long break!**

Last Time: _Interrupting his thoughts, he heard his stomach growl. _

'Better go get some food._' Sasuke thought, grabbing his keys and went out the door, feeling for the fist time in ages like a new man._

The cool air felt nice against his skin, refreshing him. He felt proud of himself. Not in the cold, egocentric way he had felt in his past, but in the sense that he knew he had turned over a new leaf, a path to a new and better self. Walking down the street, his thoughts grew jumbled, despite his lack of liquor in his system. His mind strayed back to his favorite pink-haired girl, who probably despised him now.

'_Why did this happen? I had it made…'_ He shook his head, his black bangs falling in his face. Despite the crispness in the air and the sun shining, he felt dark and dank. His mind had been tainted with the knowledge of the consequences of his drunken stupors. Before, he had just been getting drunk. He had been able to live with that. After all, it wasn't like he was the only person in the world who had an issue with one-too-many drinks. However, afterwards, his past actions seemed to slowly turn his world dark. As dark as he felt, he knew Sakura would be getting the blunt of it. She was the real victim here.

As the grocery store came into his view, his stomach growled once more, reminding him of why he had left his house in the first place.

-----------------------------------

By the time Sasuke had left the store, the sun had set and the rosy glow of dusk had been replaced by the thick black night. He hadn't really expected to by so much food, however, his hunger won out in the end. Laden with several bags of groceries, Sasuke made his way back to his apartment. The full moon hung high above his head, a glowing beacon in the dim night, illuminating the streets. Setting his bags down outside his door, he let himself back in. Turning on a light, the black haired man went about the task of putting his newly acquired chow in the proper cabinets. He had set aside a cup of ramen, chuckling slightly as thought of Naruto, his other teammate. He hadn't seen him in awhile, due to the blonde's constant barrage of missions, and when Naruto did have free time, he liked to spend it in the company of a certain lavender-eyed Hyuuga.

Their relationship had blossomed not long after he and Sakura had gotten together. After years of being ignorant of Hinata's love for him, Naruto made up for it by showering the quiet girl with kisses, constantly showing how much he loved her in which Hinata would reply by blushing and kissing him back. As much as he hated to admit it, Sasuke was semi-jealous of them. They were still blissfully in love, their relationship wasn't on the verge of falling apart, and as far as the Sharingan user could tell, no dark secrets stained either of their souls. What he wouldn't give to be able to go back in time and relive his and Sakura's happier days.

------------------------------------

Looking at the sky, the sun had been replaced by the full moon. In the pitch black night, only the full moon illuminated the lake. It had gone from being relaxing and bright to a black, rippling pond of darkness. Sakura stared into it, wishing that the deep chasms of the water could swallow her up whole. Standing up, she moved closer to the waters edge, allowing a pale hand to break the surface, sending ripples in all directions. The icy coldness of the water didn't faze her at all. The ripples had originated by her fingers, spreading wider and wider until the larger ripples faded back into the oblivion of the lake. Tears chilled her cheeks, rolling down to her lips where she could taste the saltiness.

Her whole world had come crashing down around her. Her life was in shambles and there she was, trapped in the middle of it. No matter how hard she could try, she couldn't out run her past. As she stared back into the water, she wiped her tears away with the back of her hand.

'**Is self-pity time over yet?' **If it was physically possible, Sakura would have glared at herself.

'_Don't you feel sorry for me?' _Inner Sakura thought for a moment.

'**No, not really. Oh come on, just snap out of this funk already!'**

'_Easy enough for you to say.'_

'**You know what, you're getting on my nerves. If you really cared, about anything at all, you wouldn't be acting this way. If you keep acting like this, then your life **_**really **_**will be over. If you could just continue on with your life, then you'll be fine. The longer you sulk, the longer it'll take to go back to normal.' **Inner Sakura's voice had gone from being angry, to taking a more gentle tone. She had to get herself to see what she was doing. If she failed at this self-appointed task, then the consequences could be dire.

Sakura paused for a second before answering herself. '_As of now, I just want to go home…'_

Picking herself up off the cold shore, the melancholic girl looked once more into the onyx waters of the lake, then kicked a stone into the water. Turning her back, she proceeded to walk away, leaving her sorrow behind her- if only for a moment.

---------------------------------

He threw the Styrofoam ramen cup in the garbage can and tossed his chopsticks on the counter. He rotated his head, popping a few vertebrae in a pleasant sounding click. Rolling his shoulders, he stretched out a bit, attempting to loosen up and relax. Sighing, he looked around the room. Nothing caught his eye, so he decided to take a walk.

'_A walk sounds nice…Anything to clear my mind.'_

Grabbing his keys off his dirty countertop, he flew out the door, heading no where in particular. His feet seemed to fly, his surroundings blending together to form a muddled background. He flew past the bars, the thought of alcohol not even crossing his confused mind. He had been planning on revisiting Team 7's old stomping grounds. However, Sasuke noticed someone sitting on the lakeshore. Even though it was pretty dark, Sasuke could make out short, bright pink hair.

'_What's Sakura-chan doing here?'_

Slowing down, he stood by the light pole to his left. Staring at her back, he felt a twinge of guilt. More then a twinge actually. He felt like his heart had been ripped out. He longed to run down the beaten path to the crystalline waters, and sweep her up in his arms, and shower her with kisses, promising to change his ways. However, he couldn't. His feet wouldn't let him. And so he stayed there, practically cemented to the cold ground.

Even when Sakura got up, and started walking towards his general direction, he didn't move. She dried her face with the back of her hand, and when she looked up, she almost gasped.

There he was. Her green eyes went wide, while his black ones just met her gaze. At first, Sakura felt overjoyed. There he was! She could just run to him and hug him and hold him, hoping to forget all of this mess. They stared at each other for a few moments before the heaviness returned to her heart, and she quickly turned around and headed in the opposite direction.

Sasuke stayed still for a moment, before turning his back to hers and walking away.

**And that's where I'll end it for now! I'm glad to at least get a chapter out of something…I've been distracted and have been drawing instead of writing…hehehe -_-' **

**Anyways, review, predictions, suggestions, I welcome anything and everything in the form of reviews. **

**Much love to my fans, and I hope you will all review!**

**3 J'ecris**

**P.S (I have a DeviantArt incase you didn't know…Its on my profile if you want to check it out.) *shameless self advertising* XD**


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